Can I bleach/cure a foam/lr wall?

[rjpotts]

Alright, I am almost done building my foam/rock wall for my 125 I'm upgrading to in the coming weeks.
The rock is all dry, but I got a little ahead of myself and didn't clean the rock really good first, so I'm sure there is some stuff on it that will decompose and leach out for a little while.

Can I bleach and cure the panels just like you would rock? Or will that damage the foam?
Or, should I just let nature take its course?
Or, maybe just gently pressure wash the panels before the epoxy and sand goes on to get off what I can??

Ideally, I'd like to set everything up and just transfer everything from my current tank to the 125 over the course of a week or so once everything settles, but I don't want to lose anything if I can avoid it. And I don't want two tanks running any longer than necessary. Which is why I'm asking about bleaching it.
What would you all do?

The wall has well over 50lbs of dry, and my current 36 corner tank has at least 50 lbs of rock that has been running for well over a year.
I'm planning on a pretty considerable fuge in the sump (around 1/3 of a std 55 probably) so it should absorb phosphate readily, if that's what will be leaching out the most.

 

[RobZilla04]

At this point I would be concerned about the bleach seeping into the nooks and crannies of the wall and leaching into the DT. Probably rinse with RODI water or gallons of distilled from the local super market would be a better option. Maybe someone else has a better opinion...

 

[bertoni]

Bleaching can remove organics, but it won't remove phosphate in the rock, which is the usual major concern. I wouldn't bother with bleaching, since organics will be gone quickly, in any case.

Could you post a link for the panels? I would worry a bit about degrading them, but I am not clear on the composition of them. I agree that the bleach would require a bit of care when assembling the tank, but that's not going to be hard to handle with a bit of care.

 

[rjpotts]

I made the panels. They're just egg crate, rock, and Beckett waterfall foam. Basically the same recipe as everyone else that does a rock wall.

The more I think about it, the less concern I have. I didn't do anything with the rock in my current tank but rinse it with a hose the some distilled before I set the tank up. I didn't have any major algae issues with it.

I'll probably set it up in my shop and let it run with fresh water for a few weeks, changing water somewhat frequently before I move it inside. I was going to do this for about a week originally just to be sure I like the plumbing, and to ensure my reseal job is good and the wall doesn't try to shift.

It's going to be hard to heat, but that's fine.

Or, will a big fuge pull phosphate out fast enough that I can run fresh and fallow for a week in my shop to check for leaks, then set it up inside and move some rock and some chaeto in for a few weeks before livestock starts getting transferred?

 

[bertoni]

A big refugium might be able to remove the phosphate from the water column, although it might needs some nitrate supplementation. Personally, I think a few water change are very likely to reduce any pollutants to an acceptable level. I wouldn't worry much.

 

[rjpotts]

I won't worry too much about it then. I have a spare 50g barrel, maybe I'll just save my "dirty" water from my other tank for a few weeks. That should be enough nitrate to support chaeto.

 

[on the spot]

...phosphate in the rock, which is the usual major concern...

I'll probably set it up in my shop and let it run with fresh water for a few weeks, changing water somewhat frequently before I move it inside...

if this is still on the table you might consider a product like seaklear. simpler, faster than going the chaeto route.

 

[rjpotts]

I'm more than happy to try that. Should I pre-treat the panels in a tub? Or just set up as usual and dose it. Or both?
I was up against the clock trying to get everything done before New Years. We're getting new floors somewhere around then, and my current tank will have to move to do that.
I was hoping to have the new tank up and running right after Christmas, then basically immediately transfer whatever rock doesn't have coral attached to it, and maybe my clown. Then over the course of a week or so play with the scape and move everything else.
Obviously the goal is to not lose anything, so if we have to wait for floors, my wife will survive. Just with a constant grimace lol.
I also have plenty of spare tanks that everything can live in, longer term, if I should wait for the 125 to leach for a while fallow.
What would you all do?

 

[bertoni]

Lanthanum chloride will remove phosphate, but it forms a precipitate that's probably best removed from the tank. Curing it in a tub or in the tank would be fine, but some disassembly and rinsing probably would be a good idea if there's much phosphate in the system.

 

[rjpotts]

I found a few threads on that stuff.
I guess I'll make a point to finish the wall this week and toss them into a bin.
Now the question is.. do I use salt water, ro/di, or tap water (it's pretty clean in my area).
I'm going to have to dry it completely before I silicone it in the tank, so I'm guessing I don't want to start growing bacteria, just to kill it again.
Hopefully the panels aren't too buoyant.

 

[bertoni]

If the tap water is clean enough, that'd be fine, although I'd probably be cautious and use RO/DI. There's no need to use saltwater, although it'd be fine, too.